Hey again. I got these molas as a lot and think they're great. As you can see, they came with an old bill of sale and a postcard of a Guna (Kuna) woman. I know I can't be totally sure that the ones listed on the sale and these particular ones are the same, but they look about right to me. I don't have any real questions, other than what the letters and symbols on the biggest one might mean. Otherwise I'm just sharin'. Any and all questions and comments welcome!
Thanks! I really don't know how to read them-- 2's and S's and N's... ??? Nor do I know what's depicted in that one-- spearfishing a huge sawfish? At first I thought maybe it's some kind of allegory, but that idea's gotta me imposing an interpretation on it.
I agree, great molas! I've found, in Navajo rugs, some Indian baskets, and, to a lesser degree, in Native American Indian baskets, that often non-literate craftspeople use letters or numbers just for their form and imagery, that they often have no meaning other than that they are attractive shapes from another culture. Exposure to some English language packaging that contains those images leads to them being used on traditional crafts. It's actually a category of unusual usage that I personally "collect"!
Nice examples. I have handled quite a few over the years. Unfortunately, they always seem way undervalued for their artistry.
I agree with Taupou . My mother has a large collection of Molas.That she has collected some from when we lived in South America in the 50's. One has a tent a winding road and a Volkswagen beetle. we traveled all over SA in a VW Beetle. Another one has Chicago bulls written on it. My Dad said they would copy T shirts that they thought the tourist would value .
